


The Question

by DetectiveRoboRyan



Series: Intimate With Brokenness [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Genre: (It's a Ryan Maelica(tm) Mae is Always Trans), (It's not that obvious but she is trans), Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Light Romance, Sexuality, Trans Mae
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-05 01:50:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14033550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DetectiveRoboRyan/pseuds/DetectiveRoboRyan
Summary: "Genny asked me if I was a homosexual today," Celica says.Mae coughs. "Yeah, my bad."





	The Question

**Author's Note:**

> i started this piece like. probably around when sov came out? back when i was on my maelica kick and producing a shitton of content for these girls in love. i still love them but then i had like 5 ideas for entire fucking novels so oneshots kinda had to wait. but i needed a break, so i rummaged through my drafts for something i'd forgotten about and cleaned it up.
> 
> anyway i can't believe All of mila's priestesses are lesbians how bout that huh

Mae's not sure if it's before or after they roll into Mila's temple that folks start talking.  
  
She's used to wagging tongues, of course. Word travels quickly in Novis, after all, it being so small and isolated. Mae and Boey both used this to their advantage when they changed their names back when they were fifteen and figuring things out. But they're not fifteen anymore, they're mostly-adults and sometimes things get a little bigger than they can get a handle on things.  
  
So it must be when Genny pulls Mae aside and asks her in a whisper with her sweet little voice, like it's a dirty word, if she's "a lady-licker."  
  
"The term is lady- _lover_ , first off, I don't know where you learned that one," Mae says, not bothering to drop her voice, and it echoes around the temple. "And why'd you need to whisper like that? What's wrong with liking ladies?"  
  
Genny turns red. "I just—" she whispers. "I heard someone saying Mila's a lady-looker, and then they said something about priory girls having that in common, and then I started thinking well what if I'm one, or what if Celica's one, or you! Or—"  
  
Mae rolls her eyes and claps Genny on the shoulder hard enough to make the smaller girl stumble forward. "Aw, Genny," she says sympathetically. "You don't have to whisper! There's nothing wrong with liking girls! I mean, have you _seen_ girls?"  
  
Genny pulls up the collar of her habit and buries her face in it. Mae, as Mae does, keeps talking.  
  
"I mean, boys are pretty neat too, to be fair— being one isn't for me, but I guess I could date one," she says. "They're neat and all, but given an option? No thanks. I'll take a cute girl any day." Really, it would depend on who was asking and who was an option, but whatever, a girl's allowed to have preferences.  
  
"Sh-should you really be _yelling_ it?" Genny asks, tugging on Mae's sleeve. "I-I mean, what if somebody hears? I just wanted to know if it was true!"  
  
Mae puts a hand on her collar. "I'd be more concerned if there were rumors it _wasn't_ ," she says. "Have I been slacking? Have I forgotten to scream from the rooftops that I love kissin' girls?"  
  
Genny buries her face in her hands. "I should've just asked Celica…" she mumbles.  
  
At that, Mae quirks an eyebrow. "Celica? Celica's straight as a ruler, s'far as I know. But you know how she is, she doesn't tell nobody nothin'."  
  
"Well," Genny shifts on her feet. "I heard rumors that you and her were… you know. That you're sweet on each other."  
  
_Aw, Mother, I only wish,_ Mae thinks. She doesn't say that. "Well, I don't know for sure how Celica swings," she says. "But me? I love girls! Great to talk to, great to look at, great to hold hands with— really, what more do you want?" _Don't talk about Celica, don't think about Celica don't tell Genny the rumor is half-true, don't get distracted thinking about how great it might be to hold Celica's hand and bring her flowers and run your fingers through her hair, don't get your fingers crushed in a drawer because you were trying to do something while distracted by how pretty Celica's features look when they're outlined in sunlight, Mae, you useless_ fucking _lesbian, don't you dare—_  
  
Genny nods, giving this genuine thought. "I can see the appeal," she decides. "I-I mean, for me, I don't really know. But I'll keep it in mind! F-for my books, that is." Sure, Genny.  
  
Mae's face breaks into a grin. "Well, hey, make sure to credit me if one of your heroes loves kissin' girls, too! I'd love to see!"  
  
Genny flushes. The idea of anyone actually reading her writing still feels strange and foreign and altogether ridiculous, but she'll humor Mae with the idea. Maybe someday she'll finish something good.  
  
Anyway, Mae doesn't see anything wrong with this until Celica corners her later— they're camped in some hallway in Mila's temple below carvings in relief, beautiful scenes of plenty and celebration and Mila surrounded by beautiful priestesses and dancers serving her fruit and wine. Mae wonders how anyone can not think Mila herself was the biggest lady-lover of 'em all with evidence like that.  
  
"Genny asked me if I was a homosexual today," Celica says, cutting directly to the chase. Mae loves it when she does that. Actually, Mae just really loves her, in general, for a lot of reasons, that she'll probably elaborate on in a more thematically-appropriate piece.  
  
Mae coughs. "Yeah, my bad. She asked me that, too. I think it's for research or something, or wait, was it because of the rumors? Or maybe both. Wait, no, yeah, it could totally be both, now that I think of it."  
  
"It was the rumors, Mae," Celica replies. Then she averts her eyes. "What did you say?"  
  
"I said I'd be worried if people thought I _wasn't_ the biggest damned lady-lover Valentia had ever seen— gods, can you even _imagine?_ " Mae says frankly, because she has very little in the way of a thought-to-speech filter and it's the truth anyway, so. "What'd you say?"  
  
"That's what I wanted to discuss with you, actually," Celica admits. "You're… you like women, yes?"  
  
"Love 'em," Mae confirms. "So?"  
  
Celica nods. She seems deep in thought, staring at the carvings of Mila's gentle features— she's depicted with Zofian features here, because obviously, with that gentle contour to her eyelashes and a long nose that drops from her forehead, those slender hands and long fingers, those lips perfectly parted as she cups the cheek of one of her priestesses. Seriously, how can anyone not think a goddess who surrounds herself with beautiful women 24/7 is anything but a massive lesbian? Sister Silque told Mae so herself, and Sister Silque knows a lot about Mila and lesbianism and a lot of things in general, so Mae's inclined to believe her.  
  
"I was just curious, is all," Celica says. "It's… strange. I thought… well."  
  
Mae's brow furrows. "Celica?"  
  
"It's nothing," Celica says.  
  
"It most _certainly_ isn't," Mae replies, Emphasizing Every Word To Prove How Very Serious She Is. "Listen, Celica— I know that you're not a fan of letting people in, and if you're… realizing things, it's not my place to demand knowledge about it, but… but I'm your friend, and you can talk to me about these things, alright? Just know that."  
  
For what it's worth, it seems to help. Celica smiles tiredly and smooths back Mae's hair to peck her cheek. It's probably entirely platonic, but Mae feels her cheeks flush.  
  
"Thanks, Mae," she says. "And I'm glad you're… the way you are. I'm glad you're brave enough to be open with it."  
  
"Ain't nothing wrong with love, s'what Boey's mom always told me," Mae shrugs, giving Celica a bright grin. "But you can't live your whole life pretending to be something you're not, you know? Nobody deserves to have to live like that."  
  
Celica nods thoughtfully. "Well," she begins. "Well, I understand. And I agree, it hurts. Not being able to tell anyone who you really are. Being scared."  
  
Mae nods. She gets it— she does. Novis accepted her with open arms but that was because everyone knew everyone else, and those who didn't approve could damn well shut their mouths about it. But the fear was still there, would've been there no matter where she lived or who she grew up with. She knows what it's like to be afraid.  
  
"So what I'm saying is," she says. "I'm glad you're so open about it. I have a lot of respect for that. And it's… good to know it's not just me."  
  
At that, Mae has to do a double-take. "You mean you're— girls?"  
  
Celica laughs, the kind of way you laugh when you've just said something you almost regret and you're nervous but also kind of relieved you got it off your chest, and holds up her palms and wiggles her fingers.  
  
"Surprise," she says. "Nobody asked, so. I mean, not until Genny. You know what I mean."  
  
To Mae's credit, she recovers pretty quickly. "What'd you tell her?"  
  
Celica snorts, which is a very un-princessly thing to do, and looks at the carvings. "I asked her to name a follower of Mila that isn't." And Mae guffaws, and slaps at the carving in delight.


End file.
